Marie Zéphyrine de France, fille de France[1] (26 August 1750 - 1 September 1755) was a French Princess. The daughter of the Dauphin and Dauphine, Louis Ferdinand and Princess Maria Josepha of Saxony. She was the first of her parents' children to live to the age of five. Contents

1 Biography

2 Ancestry

* 3 Titles, styles, honours and arms

o 3.1 Titles and styles

4 Notes

5 See also

Biography

Marie Zéphyrine de France was born at the Palace of Versailles to the Dauphin and Dauphine of France. Her curious name comes from Zephyrus, the Greek name for the west wind; it was given to her because she was born on August 26, the feast of St Zephyrinus.

Her birth was greeted with caution; in the previous two years, 1748 and 1749, Maria Josepha had suffered miscarriages and her health was of a fragile nature; Louis XV had hoped for a boy.

As the daughter of the Dauphin, she took the rank of Daughter of France and outranked the daughters of the king, her aunts. These included the Duchess of Parma, Madame Infante and her twin Madame Henriette among others. As a member of the Royal family, Marie Zéphyrine had the right to the style of Royal Highness but at court she was known as Madame Royale or la Petite Madame. Her mother had wanted her to marry her first cousin, Prince Anthony, Electoral Prince of Saxony[2].

She was raised by Marie Isabelle de Rohan.

Madame Royale was joined by a brother in September 1751, Louis, Duke of Burgundy.

Madame Royale was said to resemble her mother, despite not surviving childhood. In 1753 another brother joined Xavier de France, Duke of Aquitaine. He died in 1754. Her most famous brother the future Louis XVI of France was born on 23 August, 1754. The future Louis XVIII of France was born November 1755, two months after her death at Versailles.

Marie Zéphryine died at Versailles due an attack of convulsions. She died in the early hours of the morning of 1 September having been baptised just days before by the abbé de Chabannes, the aumonier du Roi.

Madame Royale was not even officially mourned; at Versailles a princess could only be mourned if she was over the age of 7.

Madame Royale was buried at the Royal Basilica of Saint Denis outside the capital of Paris.